Sugar Snow and Maple Tea

A week after Hurricane Sandy had her way in our neck of the woods – a nor’easter is battering us with the first snow of the season.

Just now, mid-day Wednesday – it’s large and luscious snowflakes blanketing the landscape in stillness and silence after a freezing rain coated the ground with perfect sticking conditions.

As the day wears on, though, more hazardous conditions will be the concern with freezing temperatures and heavy winds. Our millions of displaced citizens on our shoreline still without heat and power and desperately working in a massive clean-up effort are taking the day off and just finding some shelter from the cold. How thankful I am for the privilege of home and hearth on a day like today.

I cancelled my regular homeschool classes with driving conditions worsening as the hours pass. This gives me time, I guess, to catch up on my teatime post I started work on yesterday. Involving – of all things – SNOW!

” . . . when Laura looked out of the window she saw that the ground was covered with soft, thick, snow. All along the branches of the trees the snow was piled like feathers, and it lay in mounds along the top of the rail fence, and stood up in great, white balls on top of the gate-posts. Pa came in, shaking the soft snow from his shoulders and stamping it from his boots.

“It’s a sugar snow, ” he said.”

A springtime “sugar-snow” as recorded in in this passage from the first of two of the most delightful chapters in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s, Little House in the Big Woods! Here, from her five year old child’s perspective she recounts simpler times of innocence and cozy home life in the early 1870’s America – when liberty, literacy, and love of God were flourishing in our pioneering days.

Yes, well, that’s as political as I’m choosing to get one day after elections.

I’m presently teaching my elementary homeschool students this book – and an abridged version of the series for my smallest scholars.

We just wrapped up their seven week “Little House” adventure with much celebration, certificates, and their own “little house” building projects:

For my older students, we’re smack dab in the middle of the two chapters dealing with the making of maple syrup and ensuing family celebrations of such with a belly full of sweetness direct from the running sap trees in their own backyard!

I’ve been planning this one for a while, actually! Ever since summer when I came across this terrific log cabin teapot at an estate sale – taking it home to my collection for a mere five dollar bill!

The week after that find, I picked up this trio for about the same in cash – a contemporary set with oak leaves and acorns just screaming for a staring role in an autumn teatime post.

Well, it all came together with our “Little House” study.

A trip to the health and imported goods store in town put the means for quite a tasting treat on the table for us all. Maple Cream!! I set up my teatime in my classroom with the “Little House” paper dolls as a backdrop.

I have to say, the kids weren’t any too impressed with the log cabin teapot. I’ll give them time to grow in appreciation of such treasures.

However, they loved the maple cream – taste-tested on spiced wafers!

“They all hurried to the kitchen for plates, and outdoors to fill the plates with snow . . . Grandma stood by the brass kettle and with the big wooden spoon she poured hot syrup on each plate of snow. It cooled into soft candy, and as fast as it cooled they ate it. They could eat all they wanted, for maple sugar never hurt anybody . . .”

Fascinated by the look of it and delighted by the tiny autumn colored maple sugar maple leaves that gives the tea a sumptuous scent, tasting oh-so-glorious going down one sweet sip at a time!

Of course, at the end of the day, Miss Kathy takes her own rest and renewal teatime before starting dinner. I must say, I had to try the maple cream on my latest experiment – Pumpkin Spice Cookie Dollops!

I was NOT disappointed! Laid out on a plate with apple slices, goat cheddar slices, and a cluster of grapes, I smothered a frosting of the cream over my tiny bite-sized dollops and sat back in bliss as they melted in my mouth!

I have gone to using mini-muffin tins to bake scads of these dollops with gluten and dairy free ingredients so hubby and I have some sort of healthful and digestible snack to enjoy. Here’s what I did to make these:

Pumpkin Spice Cookie Dollops

1/2 box spice cookie mix (gluten free)

1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

2 eggs (we’re using egg beaters substitute)

1 cup raisin

1/2 cup GF oat flour

Mix pumpkin, spice, and eggs in large bowl. Add spice cookie mix. Mix well. Add oat flour a little at a time to get the mixture to a thicker consistency (not runny) so it can be spooned “dollop like” into the muffin tin. Stir in raisins. Spoon dollops into a greased mini-muffin tin. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Cool in pan before transferring to rack – about 10 minutes.

Store in fridge. Enjoy as is – or smothered in maple cream!

So, with another stormy day in my life – I am resolved to enjoy the simple pleasure of a sweet teatime and watch the snow fall and perhaps catch up on my curriculum writing.

Life goes on – and my calling and purpose in this world – at such a time as this – is unaltered. From a Biblical perspective: God is on His throne and all is right in the world.

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"I teach families how to restore their God-given authority as the primary educator in their child’s life through the experience of reading together as a family. Learn how to use literature to create teachable moments, build strong minds, and bind loving hearts."

Kathryn Ross, writer, speaker, and dramatist, ignites a love of literature and learning to equip young and old towards developing a Family Literacy Lifestyle—reading together, learning together, loving together. Her works challenge families to deepen their literacy skills and grow into the greater things God has purposed for them. She’s taught in Christian and homeschool circles, trained in the Principle Approach® through the Foundation for American Christian Education. Miss Kathy owns Pageant Wagon Publishing, producing homeschool enrichment materials, devotional works, study guides, and theatrical dramas for church, school, and community production. She podcasts at TheWritersReverie.com and blogs at PageantWagonPublishing.com.

Comments

Hello Kathy,So happy you could join me for tea! Great minds do think alike, they say! If you were to peruse my HOME party I have just posted today, I too was talking about “Little House.” I so enjoyed that series, both the show and the books. I love your log cabin teapot. It is totally charming and how perfect for your class! I love maple cream, well, maple anything! My parents used to gather snow and pour hot maple on it. What a treat and I haven’t had it since I was a girl. Your cookie dollops look delish smothered in maple cream; yum!Thanks for sharing and stay warm and safe, my friend. God bless those who are not so fortunate after that terrible storm last week.

Perfect teapot and teacup! You must have had such a great time. There is so much about the Little House books that provide teaching moments. Wonderful! And the edible teaching aids always help[…:) Have you tried building log cabins out of pretzels and frosting? Can you tell I used to teach kindegarten??? Thanks for linking to Tuesday Cuppa Tea!Ruth

That maple cream looks good on those cookie dollops. Snow at this time of year, when i Look out my window it is wonderful sunshine, seems strange that the other half of the world is so cold for christmas one day I will have a white christmas instead of a sunburnt one.Merle….

Hi Kathy…lovely post.I’d never heard of ‘sugar snow’ before, but I think getting a plateful of snow and making maple syrup ‘candy’ sounds like my kind of fun.Prayers for the storm victims…Barb from Australia

What a lovely presentation and post. I enjoyed every word and recognize the teapot as one I used to sell at my shop. It is perfect for Little House for sure! I hope you enjoy the snow and thanks for linking to “Friends Sharing Tea”. We are praying for the East Coast Folks!

Hi Kathy, I’m so glad you were able to come back and join me today!I always love to see snow, but after my recent adventure with it I also know how worrisome it can be too 🙁Hope you’ve had a warm and safe day in spite of the weather.I really enjoyed reading this post and seeing what you’ve been up to with the kiddies.You put on a wonderful tea for them!I loved your “Little House” log cabin teapot and the cookie dollops 🙂Praying the rest of your week is pleasant for you and the weather is kinder to all!many blessings..Trish xx

I don’t even know where to begin with this post since the focus of it is the work from my all time favorite American hero, author, and just plain inspiration. I believe God used her gift in a mighty way, a way that has been treasured for generations.

I love the way you’re teaching those kids. THAT is exactly the type of stuff I miss from my teaching days. Oh I how loved introducing them to my Laura, and “her Ma, and her Pa, and her big sister Mary and her good old bulldog Jack.”

The pumpkin spice drops look healthy and delicious so I want to try them.

And I agree with the quiet message in your one small political statement too. Oh, to turn back the clock in the hearts and minds of the American people.

Oh I enjoyed this post so much! Way back when, my fouth grade teacher introduced our class to the “Little House” books, reading them all throughout the year. They have always been a favorite of mine and I have the set of books, too. Love your teatime with your new teapot and lovely teacup. Keep safe and warm and have a good evening.Nancy

Hi Kathy, this post is so charming and a delight to read. ‘Little House on the Prairie’ is a wonderful series of books and then a TV show. The lessons learned with this study with children is awesome. Your pics tell the story in a delightful way. The teapot and the sugar snow story is the best. I want some maple cream on some cookies right now.

I have my HA journal back and I am thrilled with all of the pages. Your pages are beautiful. I love the vintage looking pics you used. It sure makes me smile as I read the Proverbs you shared. The word JOY is exactly how I feel as I view these pages and my tag. Thank you so much Kathy. The best part is meeting you and getting to know you through our journal journey.

What a wonderful post! I love the Maple theme. I am sure your students did too! The vignette is wonderful. I think I would like to make my own maple syrup. I know I want to try to make your pumpkins treats! They look and sound totally delicious! Thank you for your lovely tea post, the tea pot and tea cup are really fabulous finds! Yay for you : )Hugs,Terri

Oh dear Miss Kathy! I adore your post and LOVE the china pieces. I am an acorn nuthead! I am so very happy that you are posting again as you are one of my favorite bloggers. Some weather you guys have had on the other side of the USA.Happy Thanksgiving dear one.Love,Linda

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A good story
Is a creative compass
Pointing my imagination
In glorious directions.
I set sail on a raft
Of rhymes and reasons
That plumb the depths
Of man's heart,
And rise up on waves
Of virtue triumphant,
Where I can see a fixed mark
On the horizon.
It is there that I know
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Sure to the breeze,
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For life and living.